To Face The Enemy
by Seul Loup
Summary: *Fin!*Sarah is sent to live with her aunt, to 'calm down', but is she prepared for who she meets there? Noooooo.... And will something happen that she doesn't expect? Uhm... okay, sure, I guess so.
1. Chapter 1

Aila Keil belongs to me, Aila's motorbike belongs to my dad, and most other characters belong to the makers of the Labyrinth. A few more might belong to me, though.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Sarah Williams leant back in her chair on the plane and sighed, not caring about the strange look she got from the person seated next to her. She was flying to live with her Aunt Aila for sixth months, sent by her father, who was in turn prodded and poked by Karen, her stepmother. Aunt Aila had had to be prodded and poked to, though over the phone, not in the physical way Karen had. Aila Keil was a dreamy, laid-back, fun-loving woman who was not in any way able to sufficiently meet the demands of a teenager. Or at least that was her father's argument. She was his sister, though about thirteen or so years younger, and that made her incapable of anything, in John Williams' eyes. But Sarah knew better.   
  
She hadn't seen her young, lively aunt much in the past years, but Aila had told her much about herself. She was a small-time author, writing fantasy stories around a daytime job as a courier for the post office on her motorbike. Sarah smiled as she remembered how the woman always crossed her eyes when she spoke about her day job. Apparently her boss was always telling her to get a car, even a small one. Aila, of course, always told him 'when I get a bit more money', even though she was well-to-do. And had no plans on getting a car. Almost seventeen, Sarah didn't have her driver's license yet, but she planned on talking Aila around, because her aunt was more easygoing than her father, who had turned red the last time she had mentioned it.  
  
"Attention passengers, we are now landing." A voice blared over the speaker above her head, and Sarah jumped. The flight had only taken an hour, and she had been dreaming about what the next six months was going to be like. Was Aila going to go all adult-like when she had Sarah to look after, too? She hoped not.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Aila Keil waited impatiently in the small airport, watching the plane land. Sarah was coming! The 28 year old woman was a little on the short side, and had cheeky mahogany eyes and midnight black hair, with a single purple streak that earned her 'chats' with her boss. But the big sook was too chicken to sack her, and plus she did her job well and quickly. Thanks to her trusty red Kawasaki ZZR1100 motorbike, her most prized possession. She was going to take Sarah shopping as soon as she got here, to buy her niece a helmet and leather jacket to wear on the bike. Til then, though, they had to take a taxi.   
  
She bounced on her heels, eyes still glued to the plane coasting up the landing strip to the gate, a little anxious, a little nervous. What would Sarah think of her? Aila was as free as the wind, just barely able to quench the desire to ride straight out of town and into the horizon. To quench that desire, she usually paid the next week's rent. The other times, she re-streaked her purple part, and roared extra loudly into work on her bike, and was of course called into her boss's office. But still, part of her agreed with her older brother. She was in no shape to be taking care of her almost seventeen year old niece for half a year. Well, she would just have to try.  
  
And what would Sarah be like? Was she like the photos? Or completely different? In the photos, Sarah Williams was a smiling, carefree, dreamy girl, just like Aila herself. But from what John and his new wife Karen had told her, Sarah had started acting strangely. She often locked herself in her room, and they heard voices coming from behind the door. Other times, the girl would say something about 'goblins' or 'Sir Didymus' or 'Hoggle', then clap a hand over her mouth and mumble 'Uh, I meant..." and change the subject.   
  
Aila was worried. She knew exactly what her niece meant. In fact, she knew more. Jareth, the Goblin King, was a good friend of hers, and had told her everything about Sarah's visit. He was still madly devoted to her, and had been delighted when Aila had told him about her niece coming to visit. Jareth had started visiting her when she had tried to wish away John, her older brother. He had laughed and mocked her, saying that he would take her brother away if she made it through the Labyrinth. Aila had made it, barely, but instead of taking John away, Jareth only laughed again and told her that wishing didn't work with older siblings.   
  
The young Aila had flown into a fury and destroyed part of his Labyrinth, taking her pocket knife and freeing various beasts he had kept locked up, including a dragon who had taken a liking to her, and had also set on fire quite a bit of the leaf matter in the last part of the Labyrinth. Jareth had arrived in time to throw a crystal up, which burst into a torrent of water. The water put out the fire, wet Crystalwing enough that she couldn't breathe fire anymore, and drenched Aila to the bone. Jareth, of course, hadn't even got splattered, and raved at Aila until her saw that she was shivering madly. He had stopped, frowned, sighed, and taken her home.   
  
From then, he had started visiting every so often. At first it was to apologize, then to 'make sure she was all right', then he hadn't bothered to find an excuse. They had become friends, good friends. Jareth had helped ease the pain of John's obvious dislike and taunts of her.   
  
"Flight 706 has landed. Passengers are disembarking," announced the flight attendant, opening the double doors to let people out. Aila forgot her past worries, and slipped through the gathering crowd, ignoring their protests, to meet Sarah.  
  
*~*~*~* 


	2. Chapter 2

Okidoki, there's a few little things in this chapter that you might notice. Those little things have made me put the rating up a little. See what you think, k?  
  
Seul Loup  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Sarah stepped out of the big double doors that led to the airport, feeling self-conscious. All the other passengers were greeting their welcomers warmly, but where was Aila?  
  
"Sarah! Sarah!" She turned, to see the woman waving wildly. She grinned and trotted over, to receive and return an enthusiastic. With a start, Sarah realized she was a few centimetres taller than her aunt was.  
  
"C'mon, lets get your case," Aila grinned, and led the way across the bustling airport.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Sarah followed her aunt into a shop just out of the city. It was a large, old, showroom, with dozens of motorbikes outside. Inside, she found racks of leather jackets, boots, gloves, and numerous helmets, as well as various motorbike parts. Aila strode up to the man working the front desk.  
  
"Morning, bum-wipe," she said cheerfully. The man grinned at her.  
  
"Same to you, dog doo," he replied.  
  
"Rhys, this is my niece Sarah, just flew in. Sarah, this piece of animal leavings is Rhys Cullen, manager of Cullen and Son Bike Shop. He's the son," Aila told Sarah, smiling. The girl sensed that her aunt and Rhys were good friends. They had to be, to trade insults so easily and without, well, insult.  
  
"I need a helmet and jacket for her, rat's rear. Got any good ones?" Aila had turned back to Rhys. He disappeared into the back room.  
  
"Sarah, have you got closed in shoes, for riding the bike? Sneakers or boots or something?" The woman asked as they waited for her friend to reappear. Sarah remembered the pair of sneakers she'd packed, and nodded as Rhys came back out, carrying two helmets. One was black with lightning bolts down the sides, the other was white with two silver stars either side. The man held up the starred one.  
  
"This 'un's just come in," he told them Aila turned to Sarah, who thought for a moment.  
  
"I like the one with stars," she said softly. Her aunt smiled, and nodded to Rhys, who reached under the counter, brought out a box, and slipped the helmet into it. Then, following the two adults, Sarah was fitted for a leather jacket. Aila paid for both, ignoring her niece's protests and offers of money.  
  
"Hey bum-wipe, give us a ride?" She asked the man cheerfully. He grinned at her and disappeared into the back room again.  
  
"Sarah, don't try to protest. You're my responsibility now, and anyway, I'm happy to do it," Aila told her as Rhys came back with an elderly man.  
  
"Good morning, Mr. Cullen," she chirped, earning a disapproving nod, then steered the girl out the back door after Rhys. They were driven to a tall apartment building, and rode an elevator to what was almost the top floor.  
  
"I like the view," her aunt had explained. Sarah followed her into a door marked '113', and looked around. The main room was nice, with large white tiles and blue curtains on the windows that filled almost every wall. A low blue couch faced the back right hand corner, which had a T.V in it. A large oak desk, topped with computer, desktop lamp and piles of books and papers, was in the near right hand corner. A table, with breakfast dishes still left there, was in the far left hand corner, and the blue-counter topped kitchen with silver fridge, dishwasher and stove was in the last corner. Aila led her down a hallway between the couch and desk, which branched off into four rooms. One was the tiny laundry, with a door that led out onto a miniature balcony, so small you took one step out and ran into the wall, that bore a standing clothesline. Another room was Aila's, with ensuite bathroom, unmade queen-sized bed, built in closet and framed or paper posters. The third was a neat guest bedroom, and the last was Sarah's new room, with double bed, built in closet, ensuite bathroom, and sideboard that doubled as a vanity table. Aila set one of the cases on the bed, and flopped down onto an overstuffed armchair that graced one corner. Sarah put her carry-on bag and other case down.  
  
"This, of course, is your room. Now, the rules for you staying here," her aunt grinned at Sarah's startled face.  
  
"They're not that bad, kiddo. Listen up anyway. No drinking, no drugs, introduce boys to me before bringing them home, and forget about Tarzan-calling from the balcony, I've tried it before and the old hag above us almost got the police on me for disrupting the peace. That also means no parties, unfortunately. But after your seventeenth birthday, you can come with me to the local nightclub, the Dragon. Pretty simple?" Aila grinned. The girl smiled with relief, nodding, and her aunt left her to unpack. Maybe staying here wouldn't be so bad. Aila Keil was obviously partial to fun, and it looked like Sarah would be sharing some of that.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Okay, not much happened this chapter, but next chapter will have action in it, guaranteed! Reviews puhleeeeese!  
  
~SultanaChick 


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks everyone for your wonderful reviews! To reward you, here's another chapter!  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Awhile later, when Sarah finished unpacking, she ventured out into the main room. Aila was typing at her computer, glancing every now and then at a notebook attached by some sort of clip stretching off the side of the monitor. Her aunt glanced at her and smiled, her fingers pausing for a moment.  
  
"Finished already? Well, I'm afraid there's not much to do round here. When I'm not on the computer you can try your hand at some of the games I've got, but other than that, not much happens. You can watch t.v. if you want," her aunt offered, and showed her how to turn the set on. Sarah settled down on the comfortable, low blue couch, and fell into the world of television. She didn't know how long she sat there, thinking, or switching channels, or watching the shows. All of a sudden, Aila stopped typing and checked the clock, shaped like a smiley face, on the wall.  
  
"I'm off to get dinner. Sundays are takeout, other times we have frozen dinners or maybe something I whip up. And I warn you, I'm not a good cook. Chinese sound good?" Aila grinned. Sarah looked over and nodded, smiling. Her aunt was certainly different, being so young. She was only about eleven years older than Sarah herself was! The woman grabbed a plain black helmet, leather jacket and keys from a holder near the door, and went out. She came back awhile later with two steaming bags filled with packets of Chinese food, and another bag with a few groceries in it.  
  
"C'mon, help me set the table," Aila put the bags on the dining table and pointed her niece towards the chopsticks and plates, then went around putting the groceries away and performing little tasks like shutting the computer down and turning off the t.v. set. The woman told Sarah to set the table for three.  
  
"We'll have a guest," was all she would say. Sarah was curious, but did as she said. Soon everything was ready, and they sat down. Her aunt had put a few candle stubs in wax-ruined saucers, and lit them, for more reasons she wouldn't let out. A few minutes after they had started eating, the power went out.  
  
"Ah, he's here. Jareth, come sit down, and block your magic so we can have a little electricity," Aila called to the blackness of the rest of the room. Sarah's blood went cold, and the beef chow mien she'd been about to eat dropped back onto her plate. Sure enough, the majestic Goblin King stepped into the glow of the candles and sat in the third place, next to Aila and across from Sarah. Aila smiled gently at her niece as the lights slowly flickered back on.  
  
"I guess this calls for explanations," she said a little guiltily, offering the sweet and sour pork to their guest. Jareth was looking at Sarah, his face unreadable.  
  
"Aunt Aila, what's he doing here?" Sarah exploded, finding her tongue at last. The woman sighed, looking at her plate.  
  
"Sorry, I should have told you earlier. And my name is Aila, not 'Aunt'. That makes me feel old. Electricity doesn't work in the presence of magic, that's why I lit candles. Jareth is a friend of mine, kid. We met a long time ago, when I tried to wish your father away," Aila said, practically shoving the pork under Jareth's nose to stop him staring at Sarah. He glanced at her with a start, and took the container.  
  
"But..." Sarah trailed off, no words coming to her. This was a huge shock. Her aunt, friends with the man who had stolen her brother away?  
  
"Sorry, kid. I know I should've told you earlier. Forgive me?" Aila was looking at her with such sad eyes, the girl just had to give her a weak smile.  
  
"Yeah, its okay," she made herself say, But it was not okay. He hadn't been fair to her, he had tricked her, and done everything he could to keep her from getting Toby back. So what if he was in love with her, that man was dangerous! Somehow, Sarah managed to get through the rest of dinner. Aila struck up a conversation with Jareth, her light airy voice and his musical one cutting through her haze of anger and shock. They talked about innocent things; her aunt's books, her father, someone called Crystalwing, and even the goblins. It was strange to be sitting in a room where the other two people knew everything about the world she had been living most her life. But all through dinner, she could feel Jareth's eyes on her. At last she was full, and excused herself to go to her room. Aila had given her a book to read, one of the ones she had written, but Sarah didn't read. Instead, she set herself up at the door, peeking around the corner. She wasn't ready to read just yet.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
When Sarah had gone to her room, Aila turned to her friend with accusing eyes.  
  
"You said you wouldn't stare," she informed him. Jareth hung his head, providing her with an amusement. The high-and-mighty Goblin King was ashamed. What a laugh!  
  
"I couldn't help myself. She's grown up, Ay," he said, using his pet name for her.  
  
"Aye, she has, but that's no reason to stare," she folded her arms, enjoying herself immensely. This was a first for her; chastising Jareth, who usually chastised her. For her purple streak, motorbike, and attitude, naming a few things.  
  
"Sorry. Could we move onto another subject?" He looked at her pleadingly, and she gave in, crossing her eyes at him. Jareth laughed.  
  
"So, how long is she staying?" He asked.  
  
"Hey, that's still the same subject!" Aila protested, teasing. He shrugged and gazed at her expectantly. She sighed.  
  
"Half a year, I told you before, if you'd care to remember," the woman told him dryly, rolling her eyes. Jareth grinned apologetically, and toyed with a piece of pork on his plate. Aila checked the clock, and stood up.  
  
"You'd better go, mister I'm-so-wonderful. I've got to get some work done before I crash, and you'd just be a nuisance as usual," she began to pack up food containers. The Goblin King nodded, and rose.  
  
"I'll take my leave, then. Call for me in the mirror tomorrow, will you? I'd like you and Sarah to come to the castle sometime," he stopped when she straightened and looked him in the eye.  
  
"Jareth, you know very well that Sarah isn't ready to go back there. The answer is no. I'll call in the mirror tomorrow, but we are not going to your Labyrinth, is that clear?" Her voice rang through the apartment, half-scolding, half angered. And was that a bit of fear in her voice as well? Aila tried quickly to mask it, swallowing. She remembered all too well the last time she had gone to the Labyrinth, and didn't want to go back. The things Jareth had done to try and fool her, to manipulate her and her mind, were still fresh in her memory. The Goblin King looked at her earnestly, pleading.  
  
"Aila, it'll be different. You and her aren't going through the Labyrinth, just to the castle," he said, not seeing that that wasn't what she was afraid of. She shook her head firmly, poking him sharply.  
  
"The answer is still no. Goodnight, mister Goblin King," Aila turned around abruptly and started stacking the plates to load the dishwasher. She heard him sigh, and the lights flickered for a moment as he called on his magic and faded out. When Jareth was gone, she slid into a sitting position against the dishwasher, burying her head in her arms propped against her knees. She wouldn't let him see her weak, but that was exactly how she felt. Weak. He had done terrible things to her in that Labyrinth, and she wasn't going back, ever. And as long as she could help it, Sarah wasn't either. Aila was afraid for her niece, knowing what it was like to be the object of Jareth's attention. She didn't want her niece to go through the same things she had. Not now, not ever. And Aila would prevent that with the whole of her being, even if it meant sacrificing herself.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Sarah watched the display of teasing between her aunt and the Goblin King, amazed that her aunt was actually friends with him. When the man had suggested that Aila and her niece come to the Goblin Castle, her blood run cold again. But she was glad to see that her aunt stuck up for them both. After Jareth had gone, Sarah saw Aila slide down the dishwasher and bury her head in her arms. What had happened in the Labyrinth that made her aunt like this? What had she gone through? Sarah was worried, and resolved to ask the woman immediately - in the morning. She yawned, and crawled into bed, still curious. What was Aila Keil, author, motorbike riding messenger and aunt extrordinaire, afraid of?  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Okidoki, I left a bit of mystery there for later chapters. Pleeeeeeease review! I had so many great reviews before, please review again! I live on reviews! Feed me! *takes a bow* Thank you, and good night.  
  
Sweet Sunshine to all,  
  
Seul Loup 


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Sarah awoke to sun in her eyes and the smell of toast. She shuffled out into the main room, and accepted a plate with two pieces of toast from a disgustingly chirpy Aila. In a little while, she was awake, fed, clothed, and ready to go. Her aunt had dressed in tight jeans and a high necked long-sleeved black shirt under a stiff leather zip-up vest and her own worn leather jacket, a small backpack on her back.   
  
"Ready? We gotta blaze. Rhys says he'll put up with you in the shop for the morning," Aila's grin told her that Rhys was actually quite happy to have Sarah.  
  
"I'll come in my lunch break and take you to the mall for the afternoon, and I'll pick you up there at around five, right kid?" The woman grabbed her keys and helmet as Sarah nodded, and led her downstairs to the tenant carpark. Sarah, in her new leather jacket and clutching her helmet, followed her aunt as she wound her way to a flash red motorbike. Soon they were at the bike shop, and Aila took her in.  
  
"Morning, cow dung. How's the ZZR going?" Rhys greeted the woman, nodding at Sarah.  
  
"Perfectly fine, bum-wipe. So you'll look after Sarah? I'll try make different arrangements for tomorrow," Aila said. He nodded again, and she patted her niece's shoulder and left. Sarah spent the morning there, hearing tales of her aunt from Rhys, packing and unpacking helmets and boots, and learning about motorbikes. Aila came at lunchtime, and took Sarah to eat at a nearby burger joint. Her beeper got her attention as they were finishing, and she had to drop the girl quickly at the local shopping mall before speeding back to work. The hurried excuse was that an urgent package had come in, but Sarah suspected that Aila hadn't been supposed to take a lunch break just then and was supposed to actually be at work. Eventually they got home, and her aunt let her try her hand at a computer game involving a girl with a bow and arrow while the woman made some phone calls. At one point she disappeared into her room and Sarah heard voices, but when she came back nothing was said.  
  
"All right, I've phoned a couple friends, and Cricket's coming over here to spend the night and stay with you here tomorrow, so you can stay in the apartment," Aila informed her awhile later. Cricket turned out to be an Asian woman a little older than Aila, with the actual name Xi Yang, and after Sarah had gone to bed, they went out. To the nightclub, the girl suspected. But they came back by midnight, and nothing drastic happened before that, so she guessed that it was all right for her aunt to have a little fun. After all, she had to put up with Sarah for half a year. It was a good thing Aila was doing, taking care of her niece, and she deserved a good time now and then. Besides, neither of them got drunk.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
"Okay kiddo, Cricket's gonna keep an eye on you today. I'm going to be out all day and won't be back by the time you get to bed; got to have dinner with my publisher, discussing this new book of mine. She has to leave at five though, got a new job as a barmaid at a club. You'll be on your own after that, but I'll give you my beeper number so you can beep me if anything happens, but it shouldn't," Aila told her, and was true to her word. When her aunt left, Sarah had her beeper number, her mobile phone number, Cricket's beeper and mobile phone number, and the numbers of a couple of Aila's other friends. Cricket was still asleep, crashed in the guest bed, and the girl knew exactly what she wanted to do. She slipped into Aila's bedroom and looked around.  
  
It was reasonable sized, with a bookcase stuffed to its limit, a built in closet, Aila's queen sized bed which was unmade, and the walls covered with posters. A door over the other side led to an ensuite bathroom. But what interested Sarah most of all was Aila's vanity table. It was topped with a large mirror, and things were scattered over the surface. Pots of lip gloss in varying flavors, a lone bottle of foundation and a small compact with eyeshadow in it, and a squeezy bottle of body glitter. But in spite of the large mirror against the wall, it also sported a smaller mirror. It was cut in a circle, surrounded by gold meshing and pearls. Sarah picked it up and studied it for a moment, then stroked a finger down one side of it, tracing the gold meshing. It was very beautiful... wait a minute, did the glass just flicker? Yes, it did! It flickered again, and a face appeared inside. Sarah's blood ran cold for the third time in two days. It was Jareth.  
  
"What do you want, Ail-" he stopped dead when he saw her, and she gasped and dropped the mirror. The girl ran back to her room, not caring if she woke Cricket. He had seen her! That must have been the mirror they were talking about. She wondered if she should go back and put the mirror where she'd found it, so Aila wouldn't know, but decided against it. Jareth might still be in the mirror, and anyway, he would tell her aunt. She hated him so much... and why hadn't the electricity been off? The mirror was obviously magic, and Aila had said last night that electricity didn't work in the presence of magic. More things to think about. And she had forgotten to ask her aunt about what had happened with her and Jareth, too.   
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Aila was speeding towards Rhys' shop after work, to change into better clothes before meeting her publisher, thinking on the way. Sarah was a troubled young woman, she knew. All this business with Jareth... and how she had acted two nights ago. She obviously disliked the Goblin King, maybe even hate him. Aila herself disliked the man sometimes, but he was altogether a good person. He had confided to her that he didn't like playing the evil villain, but had to play along with the game. Every person that he took children from thought he was a villain, from what they had read in the book. Jareth had to play that part, by the Rules of Magic. He wasn't really like that, but Sarah couldn't see that. She had to understand! Aila resolved to tell her niece exactly that as son as she got home. No, in the morning. In the morning, she would tell Sarah, and plead her niece to give Jareth a second chance.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Just a bit of a shorter chapter. Reviews? Reviews anyone? Please... *whimpers, putting on sad puppy eyes* Please...  
  
Seul Loup 


	5. Chapter 5

Aila woke the next morning with a warm fuzzy feeling inside. She always felt this way when something had gone right for her, and yesterday she had sold her latest book manuscript. She bounded out of bed and went through her usual morning ritual, then headed out to make breakfast. But as she was walking past her vanity table, she spotted the walkie-talkie mirror on the floor. Jareth had given it to her, so they could talk with him without having to have the problems of electricity; it had been specially guarded to make it 'invisible' to electricity. Aila picked the mirror up, confused. How could it have gotten on the floor? She stroked the side of it with her finger, to call Jareth. He appeared almost instantly.  
  
"Hey Goblin Butt, how'd my mirror get on the floor? Grow legs and walked?" She asked him, sitting on her bed. He sighed and crossed his arms.  
  
"Ay, how do you think it got there? Sarah. I saw her face before she gasped and dropped it." He told her. Aila frowned.  
  
"Well, she can't be too surprised. Thanks, I'll talk later." She put the mirror back in its place and went out to make breakfast.   
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Sarah woke up, panting and sweating, from a nightmare. She had been back in the Oubliette, except this time Hoggle didn't come and light the candle. She was groping around in the dark, with voices haunting her. They had been laughing, taunting, and mocking her. Eventually she recognized the voice as Jareth's, and the second after she'd realized that, she'd heard a scream that she recognized as Aila's. That was when she'd woken up. Sarah groaned and crawled out of bed and into the bathroom. It was just a dream, just a dream.  
  
"Morning, Sunshine. This is your complimentary wake-up call. Please move your arse..." Aila called from the doorway, and the girl had to grin. Her aunt had a way of making everything seem like a joke, even the most boring and foot-dragging tasks like waking up a grouchy teenager who was more likely to chuck a pillow at her than smile.  
  
"I'm coming," she called back, and splashed her face with water before walking out to breakfast. Once armed with toast and juice and seated at the dining table, Sarah decided it was time to start getting answers out of her aunt.  
  
"How did you and Jareth meet?" Was her first line of attack.   
  
"Your father and I were having an argument, and I kind of wished him away. Of course, Jareth came. He said that if I got through that Labyrinth he would take John away. Of course, wishing didn't work with older siblings, so he was really just playing me on. I made it with only microseconds to spare, but he only laughed and told me the truth. I went into a fury, and burned part of his Labyrinth with the help of a dragon called Crystalwing. He turned up, and made a crystal burst into a torrent of water, which doused the dragon, the fire, and me. He ranted and raved for a while until the dolt brain of his saw that I was shivering madly, and took me home. After that he made up excuses to come see me," Aila seemed chatty, and Sarah decided to try her luck with another question.  
  
"Did anything happen betwee- uhm, in the Labyrinth?" She asked, but her aunt fixed her with a Look.  
  
(Aila's POV)  
  
"Sarah, I know what game you're playing, and no, nothing happened," Aila told her sternly, and swallowed hard. It was a lie, and she knew it. Although she and Jareth acted as though nothing had happened, Aila knew that the Goblin King remembered very well what he had done. But she wasn't about to tell her niece.  
  
(Sarah's POV)  
  
Sarah blushed, and turned back to her toast. She'd blown it. Now Aila would be suspicious every time the girl asked a question about the Labyrinth. Maybe...? No. She couldn't ask Jareth. She hated him, remember?  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Days passed. Sarah settled into life in Aila's hectic schedule, getting to know the city and what it offered. She had finished secondary school, and was taking a year off from school, to 'see what opportunities there were'. Quite a few graduates did that, she had found. Then, they either went to college or took off doing something else. Sarah wasn't sure what she wanted to do. In the meantime, she was looking forward to her seventeenth birthday, when Aila would take her out to all her usual joints, like the Dragon, the local nightclub. Seventeens were allowed there, but only on probation. At eighteen they were allowed in with no questions asked, but for that one year all eyes were kept on them. Sarah also planned on getting a job and starting to save up for a place of her own.  
  
Aila made her days amusing, making jokes all the time. The old woman who lived in the apartment above theirs was the subject of quite a few wise cracks and pranks, especially one such that her aunt pulled to get her out of a dull mood. Sarah had found her aunt trying to yodel one night, standing out on their miniature balcony. The old woman went into a frenzy, yelling out the windows and stomping on the floor. Aila had stopped when the woman had threatened to call the police, and grinned at her niece, who was gazing in amazement at the young woman.  
  
"Felt like letting out a bit of air," she had said, waving her aside and going to try and cook dinner, which had turned out to be pizza delivered to their door because her aunt had accidentally burnt the chicken. Sarah shook her head, smiling, as she remembered. Aila was always full of surprises. But neither of them had mentioned Jareth again, though the girl had heard voices coming from Aila's room every now and then, which she supposed was her aunt talking to the Goblin King. Would her aunt ever raise the subject of him again, or invite him to dinner? Sarah told herself she didn't want to see him again, or hear about him, but part of her knew that she did want to. And besides, she was living with his best friend: her aunt. It was obvious that she would see him again.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Reviews? Please!  
  
Sweet Sunshine,  
  
Seul Loup 


	6. Chapter 6

Aila sighed, collapsing onto her big bed. She had just come home from a hectic day at work, to find her friend Ben sitting outside her door, toasting anyone who passed by with a bottle of rum. She'd confiscated it, to his protests, and locked him into the guest bedroom. Bless Cricket, who'd suggested putting an outside lock on the door and install intercom, to deal with those occasions when a drunken friend popped around. Ben was now probably passed out on the bed, and would remain that way until morning when she opened the door and tossed him an orange or something and told him to get moving. She groaned wearily.  
  
Aila felt as though her world was turning upside down. She couldn't think of any ideas for books, for one. Her latest book had reached the bestseller list, but her publisher said that they expected it to drop. And on top of that, her boss at the post office was threatening to leave his job so that another, stricter manager would take his place, all to get her to take the purple streak out of her hair. Aila wasn't fazed, but supposed she'd better change the purple to something different, say, a dark blue that was almost invisible against her black hair. She was getting bored of purple, anyway. And on top of that, Sarah obviously didn't want to see Jareth again. Which was hard, because he was one of Aila's closest friends.  
  
She went out into the main room and grabbed a can of coke out of the fridge, then went back to her room and picked up Jareth's mirror, putting the can on her vanity table.  
  
"Goblin King, Goblin King, wherever you may be," she murmured, stroking the side of it to summon him. Jareth soon appeared in the glass, looking bored.  
  
"What is it, Ay?" He said dully. Aila frowned.  
  
"If you're going to take that tone with me, I'll just go find someone else to confide in," she told him tartly, and he laughed.  
  
"Sorry. Now talk," he looked a little more interested, and she knew this was as good as it was going to get.  
  
"My life's a bum. No ideas for stories, I have a stone cold friend in the guest bedroom, the boss is giving me a hard time, and Sarah's not here to yodel with," Aila said, settling back onto her bed with the can in one hand and mirror in the other. Jareth smiled, his unique smile that looked more like a smirk than a smile.  
  
"Aila Keil, that doesn't sound very boring. For instance, if there is a stone cold friend in your guest bedroom, why not go in and do something drastic, like pull one of your pranks? I can remember a time when you shaved your brother's eyebrows off while he was sleeping. And if you and Sarah yodel, then I don't think that's very boring, now is it?" He said, arching one of his own eyebrows. Aila itched to get over there with a razor and do the trick on him, but shook her head, more to herself than him.  
  
"You don't know Ben. He's a real bear when he's hung over, I even had to use martial arts to get him out the door one morning, only just avoiding getting punched. I bet the people in Chinatown could hear his curses. And Sarah doesn't really yodel, its me, and the old hag upstairs almost called the police last time I let loose," Aila took the last mouthful of her drink, more down in the dumps than ever. It was awhile before Jareth said anything. She placed the empty can on her vanity table and glanced at him in the mirror. The Goblin King was looking at her, his face unreadable.  
  
"Ay, I need your advice," He said suddenly.   
  
"Oh really? The high-and-mighty Goblin King is turning to me for help?" She grinned. He sighed.  
  
"Not help, just advice. You know my feelings for Sarah, don't you?" The man in the mirror gave her a Look, which stopped her grin.  
  
"Yes, I know. How could I forget, when she's almost the only thing you talk about?" Aila rolled her eyes.  
  
"Well, what if there was another?" Jareth hesitated.  
  
"Another what?" She was confused.  
  
"Another... another woman," he sighed. Aila raised her eyebrows at him.  
  
"Oh, so you're cheating on Sarah?" She hid a grin as he shot her a furious glare.  
  
"No, dolt, I just-"  
  
"I know what you mean, Jareth. And I honestly don't know what you can do. If you want to have a chance with Sarah, forget the other woman, I guess. Or vice versa. But no girl likes having to share her love with someone else, so you'd better make up your mind," Aila told him. He nodded, hanging his head. She stifled a laugh, earning herself another glare. Outside her room, the front door slammed shut, and the woman's head jerked up.  
  
"That'd be Sarah," she said. Jareth looked at her hopefully.  
  
"Could I come over soon? I... I need to get something straight with her," he said. She decided quickly.  
  
"Come for dinner," she offered.  
  
"As long as you don't cook," the Goblin King warned. Aila laughed, and agreed.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Just a shorter chapter, sorry.   
  
Thanks to all of u who've reviewed, and all of you who are about to click the little box in the corner there to submit the ticket to more chapters! *hint hint nudge nudge*  
  
Sweet Sunshine,  
  
Seul Loup 


	7. Chapter 7

Sarah came home and slammed the door, oblivious to what was currently going on in her aunt's room. Aila came out a few minutes later.  
  
"You-Know-Who's coming for dinner, I'm off to get take-out. He wants to talk to you," she announced. Sarah's face must have been horror-struck, because the woman grinned.  
  
"Aw, come on, he's not that bad. Give him a chance, eh?" She smiled gently, and left. Sarah flopped onto the low blue couch, groaning. Give him a chance? She couldn't think of anything she'd like to do less. Aila seemed to think that he was a good-guy, not a baddie. But her aunt had run the Labyrinth, hadn't she seen what he was like? Or had she just seen a different side of him? Maybe Sarah was mistaken. Maybe he had changed... or maybe he was tricking her aunt? Maybe Jareth was sweet on Aila, and wanted her to think that he was a goodie, so that she would let her guard down. But from what the girl knew of her aunt, Aila never let her guard down. She handled friends and foes with the same cool, trust-no-one-but-make-them-think-I-do attitude. Rhys, who knew the woman best, had told Sarah that Aila had been like that for as long as he'd known her. Jareth was in for a long wait if he wanted to catch her aunt with her guard down.  
  
"Or maybe I'm a long way from the truth," the girl mumbled, getting up to fetch a drink. She had been wrong before, she could be wrong about Jareth. Sarah decided to give him a chance.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Three sat at the table in silence, devouring the fish and chips that Aila had bought. Jareth seemed lost in his own little world, and Sarah too. Aila was happy to let them be like that. It saved her the trouble of trying to strike up a conversation with the Goblin King or her niece. She had been thinking about what Jareth had said. He had been obsessed with Sarah, and couldn't stop staring at her the first night. But for the last few days he hadn't mentioned her, and tonight there was nothing between them. Had he fallen out of his obsession? And what about what he'd confided to her? That there were two people in his life now? Perhaps this new person meant more to him than her niece? Aila couldn't work it out. Leave it to him to settle this.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Sarah lay in her bed later that night, unable to sleep. Jareth had taken her aside after dinner, and explained everything. He had said something about having to play the part she had assigned him in her mind, by the Rules of Magic, and that he hadn't meant anything that he had said in the Labyrinth. He had apologized for taking Toby away, and asked for her forgiveness, which she had given him dumbly. Now, thinking it over, Sarah knew she understood everything much better. She had read between the lines of his little speech, and found out the truth. With a little help from Aila, who had dropped hints after the Goblin King had left, to help her confused niece understand things. She knew now that he had really been in love with her, but someone else had come along, and he didn't feel anything for the girl anymore. She shut her eyes. It did hurt a little, being out-loved for the first time, but knew that she would never have been happy with him even if he hadn't loved anyone else.  
  
Sarah felt herself slipping into sleep, a slight smile on her lips. Everything had been sorted out. She had no more reason to fear or hate the Goblin King. Maybe they could be friends? Maybe. And pigs might fly.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Aila stared at the ceiling, fiddling with the necklace she always wore. It was amethyst, set in silver, to help ward off bad dreams. She was thinking about how Jareth had told Sarah that he didn't care for her anymore. He had confided in Aila afterwards, before he left, telling her that it had been difficult. But the relieved look on his face told the woman that he was glad to have done it. She felt a pang as she thought of the mystery woman he now loved, that he probably held in his arms right now. Could she be jealous of that mystery figure? No, of course not. But still. Aila closed her eyes, sighing softly. Yes, it might be true, she admitted to herself. She might have feelings for him, but what did that do for her? Nothing, that's what. He'd found his love, and she was alone as ever. At least Sarah would be easier to live with now, being minus any hate she'd felt for the Goblin King. Aila turned over, a silent tear slipping down her cheek. She knew she had feelings for him... ever since that incident all those years ago. If only... if only she could bring up the courage to tell Jareth what she hid beneath her indifferent outside attitude.   
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Jareth lay alone on the velvet-covered bed, staring aimlessly up at the canopy. He felt better at having let Sarah go, but worse at not having taken the chance to let Aila know... let her know that she was the other woman. He loved her so much, yet there she was in the Aboveground without him. Without any other lover, too, and that was all that gave him hope. Ever since that day, al those years ago, he had felt his feelings for her grow. No, ever since before that day. But how to tell her? He sighed, and closed his eyes. Maybe it was better for her to live her life without him. She lived a wonderful life now, having him there would only make worse. But still... he missed her every moment they were apart, he didn't know if he could live without her. But how could he tell her, if she wouldn't come to the castle? That was the one barrier between them. If he could just bring her here, maybe he could tell her. Maybe.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Well well well! Reviews, anyone?  
  
Sweet Sunshine,  
  
Seul Loup 


	8. Chapter 8

This is sort of a songfic chapter. There might be a few of these, by the way.  
  
The song is Have You Ever, by Brandy (I think it's by Brandy, anyway.)  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
*Have you ever loved somebody so much it makes you cry*  
*Have you ever needed something so bad you can't sleep at night*  
*Have you ever tried to find the words but they don't come out right*  
  
Jareth sulked around his castle, holding the mirror in one hand. The goblins didn't dare come near him; they knew what would happen if anyone disturbed their King in one of his sulks. Immediate suspension into the Bog. He threw himself onto his throne, and gazed longingly into the mirror in his hand. If only Aila would call for him, maybe he'd have the courage to tell her that... tell her that he loved her.  
  
*Have you ever been in love, been in love so bad*  
*You'd do anything to make them understand*  
*Have you ever had someone steal your heart away*  
*You'd give anything up to make them feel the same*  
*Have you ever searched for words to get you into their heart*  
*But you don't know what to say, and you don't know where to start*  
  
It was Saturday, and it was raining. Sarah was in her room reading. Aila sat on the low blue couch and gazed out of the window at the droplets of rain dripping down the pane, and sighed.  
  
"If I keep on sighing I'll create a tornado," she muttered to herself, but could only manage a weak smile. She wasn't in the mood for jokes. Rain usually delighted her, but this rain was different. It was... depressing. The woman finally understood why other people didn't like rain. It made you feel like crying, when Aila usually laughed with joy when it rained. She loved it. But not this time. And then again, it was somehow fitting. Depressing. Just as she was depressed without him, after finally realizing her feelings.  
  
*Have you ever loved somebody so much it makes you cry*  
*Have you ever needed something so bad you can't sleep at night*  
*Have you ever tried to find the words but they don't come out right*  
  
Sarah sat on her bed, her book in her lap, staring out at the rain. Rain depressed her. It usually delighted her aunt, but this time it seemed to depress the lively woman too. Or was it something else that made her sad? It had been a week since Jareth last came, and she had been like this for a week. Maybe that was what got her down in the dumps? Not being with him? Sarah shook her head. Her aunt wouldn't fall for him. Would she? She might, she just might. Aila might be in love with Jareth.  
  
*Have you ever found the one you've dreamed of all your life*  
*You'd do just about anything to look into their eyes*  
*Have you finally found the one you're giving your heart to*  
*Only to find that one won't give their heart to you*  
*Have you ever closed your eyes and dreamed that they were there*  
*And all you can do is wait for the day when they will care*  
  
Aila finally made up her mind. She got up and walked into her own room, changing into a warm high-necked, long-sleeved black shirt and jeans. She slid the mirror into one pocket, quickly ran a brush through her untidy hair, then leant into Sarah's room.  
  
"I'm going out for awhile, kid. I'll be back by dinnertime," she said. Sarah nodded, looking at her quizzically, but the woman avoided her niece's gaze and walked into the main room. She donned her leather jacket and grabbed her keys and helmet. In the tenant carpark, she revved up her ZZR a few times, just enjoying the feeling of coiled power beneath her before shooting out into the drizzle. It wasn't really raining anymore, just spitting, and she was able to get to Rhys's shop without getting too wet. Of course, he wasn't there, because it was the weekend, but that wasn't what she was here for. Aila stopped her motorbike around the back of the shop, out of the rain, and removed her helmet. The woman sat there for a minute, bracing her feet on the cement to keep the bike from falling down, her untidy black curls cascading over each shoulder, dark eyes staring out into the grey mist.   
  
"So cold..." she whispered, and swung her leg over the back of the bike, kicking the stand into place and settling her helmet on the seat. Aila sat next to her ZZR, leaning against the wall with the mirror in her lap. Finally, she stroked one finger down the gold-and-pearl mesh, and almost jumped when he appeared instantly.  
  
"Aila? You look..." Jareth's eyes were puzzled. She tried to smile.  
  
"I look what?" She asked with failing false cheer.  
  
"You look lonely. Want me to come over?" He asked, concerned. Aila nodded, closing her eyes and resting her head back against the wall. A moment later he was there, sitting next to her when she opened her eyes.   
  
*Have you ever loved somebody so much it makes you cry*  
*Have you ever needed something so bad you can't sleep at night*  
*Have you ever tried to find the words but they don't come out right*  
  
She just looked at him, drawing her legs up and hugging them against her chest, resting her head on her knees. They sat like that for a minute, until he spoke.  
  
"Aila, I wanted to tell you something. You know... you know the other night, when I said I loved another person, aside from Sarah?" He met her eyes, and she nodded, sitting up. Jareth lifted a hand, hesitated, then reached over and brushed away a tear on her cheek she didn't know was there.   
  
"I love you," he whispered tenderly, then suddenly he was kissing her, and Aila flung her arms around his neck. She couldn't believe it. He loved her! And after all her worrying that he was with someone else, too. She smiled into Jareth's shoulder, tears of relief and joy running down her face.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Aww. How sweet. I can't write fluff. I suck at writing fluff. And that's not the ending, either! Yes, there'll be more of my poor attempts to write fluff. So long for now, people.  
  
Sweet Sunshine,  
  
Seul Loup 


	9. Chapter 9

Yes, this is what you have been waiting for! It's the part where I tell you what Aila went through in the Labyrinth!!! Wahoo! I know quite a few of you have asked for it, and finally here it is. Happy reading!  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
The sixteen-year-old Aila pelted pell-mell down one of the Labyrinth's many paths, and skidded to a halt in front of one turn, turning into it and racing forwards again. She was almost there: the castle! A few times she'd taken wrong turns or taken advice from beings that lived here, and luckily had skirted around the Bog of Eternal Stench. She'd caught a whiff of it though, and never wanted to smell the likes of it again! The girl was approaching the back gates of the castle. The last twelve and a half hours had been torture, with her running a lot of the way. She'd had to take an indirect route to escape the Bog, and it had cost her a couple of hours. Aila trotted up to the gate, panting quietly. The guard was snoozing, and she was able to slip through the doors unnoticed, but was met by five goblin guards on ugly half-dragon things. She braced herself as the first one charged, and skipped back to avoid his spear. Once the shaft was past her, she pounced on the goblin's back and dealt him a blow to the head that knocked him out. Aila grabbed the spear and leapt on the ugly half-dragon's back, gripping its hair like she'd seen the goblins do, and whirled it to face the others, brandishing the weapon.  
  
"Anyone else wanna try?" She yelled. They slowly backed away, then when she charged them, they turned and bolted. Aila grinned menacingly and kicked her new mount into a fast pace, heading for the castle. She'd better get there before Jareth found out she'd reached the city, or he'd probably send a whole horde of those things out to get her. Aila leapt off the thing's back when she reached the door to the palace, and dropped her spear to push at the heavy wood-and-chain slabs. No luck. She stepped away, puffing, and spotted her weapon. Aila picked it up and brandished it at the doors.  
  
"Jareth, I know you can hear me. Lemme in!" She cried, and waited.  
  
"Goblin Butt, you stink like hell!" She screamed, and waited again.  
  
"If you don't let me in, I'll-"  
  
"You'll do what?" A mocking voice asked behind her. Aila whipped around and scowled fiercely; it was Jareth.  
  
"I'll think of something. Now will you take John away?" She said calmly, bracing the butt of her spear on her foot. He smirked, and the castle doors opened.  
  
"Find me, and I might," he faded out. Aila scowled again, running inside.  
  
"That's not fair!" She shrieked.  
  
"You say that so often..." a whisper drifted on the wind past her ear. The girl whipped around, but no one was there. She dropped the weapon and started racing up the stairs, taking turn after turn, chasing his whispers. After awhile she stopped, puffing, and looked around. Hadn't she just passed that stone gargoyle a minute ago? Aila grimaced. He was leading her in circles. Suddenly she had a plan. She started running again, and the next time she heard a whisper down one passageway, she took a different one. The next whisper came, and the girl did the same. Son she saw different scenery, and his whispers grew louder. At last she ran through a passageway and came out into a large chamber. There were stairs everywhere, even on the ceiling!   
  
"Come find me!" The wind-whisper said. Aila gulped, and leapt down one flight of stairs. Atop the next flight he stood, hands on hips and a mocking grin on his face. She called out triumphantly, but when she got to the top, he was standing over the other side of the room.  
  
"Hey, that's not fair! I found you, you're supposed to stay put!" She yelled at him.  
  
"There was nothing said about me staying put. Come get me, Aila!" He faded out. The girl almost screamed in fury, and started racing up and down staircases, chasing his image. And all the while, she could see a clock, on every wall, and they were all ticking ever closer to the hour. She had one minute.  
  
"Jareth, you bum-wipe, you're horrible!" Aila shrieked when her legs cramped. But she kept running, ignoring the pain. It was no longer a matter of him taking John away, it was her desire to show him that she was not to be toyed with. She would win this game, she had to! Aila repeated that over and over in her head as she came ever closer to his fleeting image. At last she stood on a platform, and he was standing on another just below her, with folded arms and a smirk. Her legs started to head for the next flight of stairs, but Aila knew better. That would be giving him the chance to get away! She leapt off the platform, arms out-stretched, to bowl him over. But instead, the girl hit the floor face-first with a thump. She groaned and sat up, rubbing her nose.  
  
"There you are, Aila. What took you so long?" Jareth was standing in front of her, the same smirk on his face. She glared at him, standing slowly.  
  
"I won, cow-butt. I won!" She grinned, folding her own arms. That annoying smirk spread.  
  
"Ahh, but on partly. You see, I forgot to mention that the wishing only works when an older sibling wishes away a younger sibling," he grinned at her horrified face, and waved a hand, making the staircase setting dissolve. They were in the main room of his castle, and the room was filled with cackling goblins. They were laughing at her. Jareth lounged on his throne, grinning at her. Aila flew into a fury, and swung her foot out, kicking aside a goblin. She raced out the open door, intent on revenge. But what to do? The girl ran down one corridor after another, and on her way down one particular passage, she spotted something. There was an open door, and it led to and outdoor menagerie. Perfect! She trotted out there, pulling her pocketknife out. Now, what animals to release? There, in the corner cage... a dragon! The young Aila approached it carefully. The mystical being was big; the girl could lift an arm and only just brush the base of the wing. Of course, she didn't try this.  
  
"H-hello?" She whispered. One amber eye popped open, and the human was surveyed with amusement.  
  
"And why does such a small being come here? The only one that comes now is the White King, and he taunts me dreadfully," the dragon whispered, and Aila didn't know if it was talking to itself or her.  
  
"I- I come to ask for your help. Uhm... the White King, Jareth, cheated me. Would you help me get revenge?" She wondered at her stupidity, asking a dragon for help, but such things didn't seem so strange here. The dragon looked thoughtful.  
  
"Indeed, it would please me much to seek revenge for my imprisonment. He has cheated you, little human? That is inexcusable. Come, are you able to unlock my cage? I shall see what I can do to help you with your revenge," it said. Aila smiled, and stepped forward with her pocketknife, inserting it in the lock. After a few experimental twists, she expertly popped it open. A dozen bursts of glitter exploded around the cage, and she blinked. Jareth must have locked the thing magically. Well, that didn't matter now. The dragon lifted herself up to her full height, and the cage was tossed aside like a plaything.  
  
"I am Crystalwing, little one," the dragon said. It was a girl!  
  
"I'm Aila Williams, but I plan on changing my last name to Keil when I'm old enough," Aila said boldly. Crystalwing's eyes crinkled in laughter, and she strode forwards.  
  
"Follow me then, little Aila. We shall set a fire under the White King's tail," the dragon told her. The girl ran to keep up, and was soon aided by her new friend. Crystalwing carefully hooked a tooth around her belt, and lifted her up. Aila gasped happily, seeing the Labyrinth stretch before her. The dragon strode forward until they reached the green part of it, then she was set down.  
  
"Watch, youngling. Lets see how long it takes the White King to take notice of us," the dragon boomed. Aila watched in wonder as her new friend roared, breathing fire onto the nearest green wall. Half a kilometer of wall set on fire instantly, and soon they were almost surrounded. But it didn't worry Crystalwing. She hooked Aila's belt on her tooth again and jogged away, making the ground rumble. The girl had been set down and the dragon was about to start on another section when Jareth appeared, in a raging fury. His face was dark and twisted, and his fists were clenched.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" He yelled at her. Aila copied his previous smirk.  
  
"There you are, Jareth. What took you so long?" She mimicked him. He glared at her, and threw one of his crystals into the air. It burst into a torrent of water, streaming over the fire, the dragon, and the girl. All three were soaked. But the Goblin King stayed dry, not surprisingly.  
  
"Why in the Underground did you have to go and do a thing like that for? You could have destroyed the whole thing! Do you know how long it took me to make that Labyrinth?" He kept on raving angrily. Crystalwing snorted in amusement, then leant her long neck down near Aila, who had started to shiver in the breeze.  
  
"I shall escape back to my kingdom now, youngling. But I thank you greatly for letting me help you in the fun," the dragon whispered, and took flight. Aila watched her, shivering even more when the warmth of dragon had gone. Jareth barely glanced at the retreating dragon, and turned back to her.  
  
"You could have-" he stopped, seeing her shivering. Aila saw him come closer through a dim haze. So cold... she was so cold. The girl sneezed violently five times in a row, then felt something warm wrap around her shoulders. She looked up dumbly and met his mismatched eyes, so close.  
  
"You could have been trapped in the blaze," he whispered. Aila didn't say anything, just clutched the blanket closer, staring at him. Jareth put a hesitant hand under her chin, and leant forward. She felt his lips meet hers, and was jolted back to reality. The blanket fell around her ankles, and she shoved him away, trying to step back but getting tangled in the fallen blanket.  
  
"Don't *sneeze* don't you dare!" She cried, her voice croaking. He just stood there, watching her thrash around on the ground for a moment, then stepped forward again and gathered the bundle of Aila and blanket into his arms.  
  
"Come on, we've got to get you home," he said gruffly.  
  
"I'm going nowhere with you!" She shrieked, but they were already back in her room. He set her down on her bed and touched her forehead, and the last thing Aila remembered before she passed out was his mismatched eyes meeting hers.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Alrighty. So, now you know. Happy? If you are, review! Please!  
Sweet Sunshine,   
  
Seul Loup 


	10. Chapter 10

Rhonwyn gazed into the gold-edged mirror in her hands, her scarlet lips curving into a cruel smile. There they were. Curled up like lovers, reveling in newfound lust. But not for long, not if Rhonnie had something to do with it. And she would, she would indeed.  
  
"Jareth will be mine," she whispered icily to herself, leaning back against the royal red velvet cushioning of her armchair. A timid knock came from the door.  
  
"Come in," she called, waving a scarlet-nailed hand over the mirror to make the image disappear and stashing it beneath a cushion. A girl walked in, carrying a tray laden with an antique tea set and a plate of small shortbreads.  
  
"You called for me, Lady Rhonwyn?" The girl asked softly, her large blue-green eyes wide. The woman smiled sweetly, batting her luscious long eyebrows.   
  
"Yes, I did, my pet. Please, sit down," she gestured to an elegant red-velveted settee. The girl set her tray down on a low mahogany end table, and seated herself on the edge of the settee. Rhonwyn pretended to look her over, seeing the canvas servant's clothes she wore. Clothes that Rhonwyn had ordered the mistress of servants to dress her in. But she had other plans for the girl now, and for those plans, the girl had to be in favor to her.  
  
"My precious child, who gave you those garments?" The lady exclaimed in mock horror.   
  
"The mistress of servants, madam. She said this is what I was to wear," the girl said nervously.  
  
"Well, I shall certainly see to her. You are my pet, and shall dress as I do. Why, I didn't take you in from that horrible home you were in before-"  
  
"Begging your pardon most humbly, lady, but the Goblin Castle wasn't that horrible, I rather liked it there," the girl put in.  
  
"Do not interrupt, Chasselle. I didn't take you in from that horrible place you were in before to have you dress like one of my own servants. Come," Rhonwyn stood, and swept over to a pile of boxes. She wore a long, elegant crimson gown that emphasized her brunette locks, ice blue eyes and slim figure. She opened the top box's lid to reveal a mass of yellow silk, which she drew out. It was a gown, with black velvet trimmings. Certainly not as nice as Rhonwyn's own gown, though. The lady passed it to her companion, who was staring at it, wide eyed.  
  
"Try it on, my pet. It should be your size. These other boxes are filled with more things, for you. Go, try it on," Rhonwyn put on a fake beam of pride as Chasselle disappeared into another room, and appeared a minute later dressed in the yellow gown. The lady fussed over her, straightening it out, adding a pair of yellow slippers, and doing up the girl's straight white-blonde hair. The older woman envied that mass of fine white-blonde locks, just as much as she envied the blue-green eyes that went with it. As a last touch, she clasped a fine gold-and-diamond necklace around the girl's neck, then stepped back to admire her handiwork.  
  
"Lady, I cannot accept all this," Chasselle stammered. Rhonwyn frowned delicately.  
  
"Oh, but you must, my dear. I simply refuse to let you live in servant's conditions, when you are almost as royal as me," she purred. The girl glanced at her, somewhat fearfully, knowing that the older woman wasn't really royal, and that she herself would out-rank her in everything but age, but went back to gazing at herself in the wall-length looking-glass.   
  
"Now come, we shall have tea," the lady made her sit on the settee again, and sat beside her, pouring the tea, and managed to strike up a conversation for a little while.  
  
"Now, Chasselle, you must go. Fenda will show you to the room that has been prepared for you," Rhonwyn beckoned to a servant girl who had just slipped into the room, and stood up when her companion did.  
  
"My pet, I do not want you to think of that horrible Goblin Castle again, nor its King. You abide with me now, and live a life of luxury, as I do. Do not dwell on the past," the lady kissed both of Chasselle's cheeks, then let her follow the servant out. After they had left, she sank back into her armchair, nibbling a shortbread piece. Jareth might have found new love, but Rhonwyn held his sister. And she would use that fae girl to get her old flame back, for the Goblin King was far too a precious prize to let him slip through her fingers. And his new lover? She would die. Rhonwyn laughed, a cold, harsh laugh. Oh yes, that woman would die.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Aila sat up suddenly in bed, panting and pouring sweat. The old shirt she wore was drenched in it, and her bedspread and sheets were either tangled around her legs or halfway to the floor. Trying to calm her racing heart, the woman extracted herself from the tangle and set about sorting it out. The dream she had just had, of a cruel, laughing female dressed in red, it seemed so real. And she was sure it had something to do with Jareth. But how could that be? The Goblin King had left her hours ago, with a final tender kiss back at Rhys's shop. Aila had come back here, and taken Sarah out to a three-course feast at the local fancy restaurant, for 'no such reason'. 'Because she felt like it'. Or at least, that was what she had told the teenager.   
  
"I really should have told her the truth," Aila muttered to herself, climbing back into the freshly made bed and hitting her head against the pillow a few times to clear it. She fingered her amethyst necklace, and another thought struck her. Why hadn't the amethyst blocked the dream? It was most certainly a nightmare, and the amethyst was supposed to ward off nightmares. That was what Jareth had told her, anyway. He had said that every stone has some kind of magic, and some of an amethyst's magic was to ward off nightmares. Maybe the dream was too strong to be blocked by her necklace? Maybe Aila was meant to have it, to warn her of something in the future? She couldn't work it out. The woman slipped back to sleep, still puzzled.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Sorry, I have to leave it there. My eyes are starting to droop... gotta hit the sack. Anyways, please... review... *yawn*...  
  
Sweet Sunshine,  
  
Seul Loup 


	11. Chapter 11

Okay, I've down-toned the language in this a little. A few times I would have said Words, but can't be bothered putting the rating up so I didn't say those Words. Okidoki?  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Aila woke up the next morning in a bad mood. She cursed the alarm, then grumbled her way out of bed and into the main room to start breakfast. A broken glass, spilt milk and quite a few Cocoa Pops underfoot later, the woman was sitting at the table and muttering her way blearily through a strong cup of coffee. She barely noticed Sarah stumble out of her own room and collect the second bowl, instead opting to ignore all human contact. But she managed a weak smile for her niece. A few moments later, all the electricity went out, and Jareth appeared near the door.  
  
"Ay, I need your help," He panted. She stood up in amazement, noting dimly that Sarah had done the same. The Goblin King was in a shambles, with dirt streaked everywhere.  
  
"We managed to close the door and bar it, but they're sure to get through soon. And she has Chasselle, she's holding her hostage" he wheezed, striding over. Aila held up a hand.  
  
"Shut up for a moment, will you? Spill, but slowly. Who are they? And who is she? And who's Chasselle?" She frowned. He sighed, running a hand through dirt-ridden hair.  
  
"Her name is Rhonwyn la Perinae, and she's mustered an army of beasts and fae. Chasselle is my sister, and Rhonwyn is holding her hostage. That so-called fae 'lady' is an old flame of mine, and apparently she wants in again. She wants the castle and the title of Queen, too. And she's using Chasselle to get it," Jareth looked murderous. Aila thought this over for a minute.  
  
"So what you're saying is that a hodge-podge army led by a vixen who wants you and your money is attacking the castle. And you want me to help?" She fixed him with a no-nonsense look. If he was trying to trick her into going back there with him...  
  
"Yes. Please, Ay. We can't hold out much longer. And if she gets what she wants, Rhonwyn will be over here in no time. She wants you dead, Ay. I don't want that to happen, but if I deny her, she'll kill Chase. And I don't want that to happen either," Jareth looked at her pleadingly. Aila sighed and nodded.  
  
"Okay, I'll come, but what've I got to do?" She believed him. He wouldn't lie to her just to get her to come to the castle.   
  
"Rescue Chase," he said simply. She raised her eyebrows.  
  
"From what I've heard, this Rhonwyn vixen isn't about to let just anybody waltz in and rescue a damsel in distress," she crossed her arms.   
  
"You'll come up with something, I'm sure," he had those puppy-dog eyes on again. Damn those eyes! Aila sighed again and started for the phone.  
  
"Sarah, go into my room. Under my bed, fastened to the springs, is a box. Bring it here, would you? I gotta call work," She told the teenager, who nodded and hurried away. The woman picked up the receiver and dialed her work number. It was answered by the secretary.  
  
"Jane, hi! It's Aila here. Just calling to take a personal day off, got family problems. My brother's wife's uncle's daughter's spouse's father has just died, and they invited me to the funeral. I'll see you maybe tomorrow, thanks heaps," she hung up before Jane had time to reply, and accepted the box Sarah handed to her. The Goblin King was staring at her in amazement.  
  
"Don't stare, its rude," she commented, opening the box on the table. Inside were two guns in black holsters, and enough ammo to last ages. Aila smiled, taking the handguns out, one in each hand.  
  
"These darlings might come in handy," she commented, and put them back, jogging into her room to change.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
A few minutes later, she was ready to go. Dressed in skin-tight jeans, black shirt and black jacket, lightweight boots, and with the gun holsters clipped to a special belt that also sported all the extra ammo it could hold, she turned to Sarah and gave her a set of keys.  
  
"These are mine, but if-" her voice faltered, and she swallowed hard and started again.  
  
"If anything happens, and I'm not home by tonight or word doesn't get to you by tonight, they will be yours. Go to Rhys, he knows about everything. He'll know what to do," Aila hugged her niece, then turned to Jareth.  
  
"Lets go," she said, and held out a hand. He took it, and suddenly they were in the throne room of the Goblin Castle. Goblins were dashing all ways, fully armored and creating a racket. Jareth touched her forehead, and suddenly she knew her way around the castle.  
  
"When you find her, take her to the staircase room. That is the one room where no one can find her. And stay there until I come!" He shouted over the noise. Aila nodded once, then darted off, dodging goblins. She used her newfound knowledge to find a window high up, and looked out over the scene. It was worse than she had imagined. The gates were breaking, and as she watched, they burst open, scattering goblins here and there, to reveal an army of all sorts of wild beasts and humans that stretched far away. They streamed inside, to met an onslaught of goblins. Aila spotted a black-cloaked figure riding a chestnut horse break away from the pack. It was clutching in its arms a girl in a yellow dress, and she knew instantly that the girl was Chasselle. Who else could it be? The woman sprang away from the window and started down the stairs. She had a princess to rescue.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Aila, running through the castle, found that enemies had come from behind as well, and the castle itself was being attacked while the main force was slowed in the city. She helped out a few times by shooting enemies on her way to the ground floor. There was a tradesman's entrance somewhere near here, and she thought that might be where the black figure would be. She was right. Just as the panting woman rounded the last corner, she saw the door slide shut and a black cloak flick around the corner. Aila sped forward, and followed the figure to a room on the second floor. There, it went inside, still towing the girl, who looked confused. She slipped forward, to listen at the door, and managed to hear snippets of the conversation.  
  
"But... why... I ... stay here...why...attacking...castle?" That must be the girl.  
  
"My pet, I promise you will get answers later. Now, I shall go fetch your brother, and we can talk. Stay here, in your room, we will come here," that must be the black-cloaked figure, who she heard clearly. And it must be Rhonwyn, too, because the voice was definitely female and lady-like. Aila heard footsteps, and she darted into another room until she was sure that the lady had passed and was gone. Then, silently, she slipped out and into the girl's room. Chasselle was sitting on an elegant back-less chair in front of a mirror, where she was brushing her hair. She frowned when she saw the woman.  
  
"Who are you? I demand that you get out of my room now," she said, standing up.   
  
"Make me," Aila grinned devilishly, and ducked a hairbrush.  
  
"Stop it with the throwing, princess. I come from Jareth, to rescue you," she walked forward. Chasselle shook her head.  
  
"But I don't need rescuing. The Lady has gone now, to fetch my brother. Please, leave at once-"  
  
"You don't get it, do you? The 'Lady' is lying. She's a no-good, lying, cheating vixen, and you'd better not believe her. She's attacking your brother to get her greedy little hands on his fortune, not matter what she's sugar-coated for you," Aila quickly explained.  
  
"Now come on, I've gotta get you out of here," she tried to grab Chasselle's arm, but the girl moved away.  
  
"How can I trust you? You might be kidnapping me!" She accused. Aila sighed and rolled her eyes, then had an idea.  
  
"Listen, you have magic, right?" she asked, and got a nod for an answer.  
  
"Then read my mind, and you'll see," the woman stepped forward, holding out her hand. Chasselle hesitated.  
  
"But... I'm not trained enough. If I connect with you, I will know everything, not just what you want me to know. Are you sure?" The girl asked softly.   
  
"Whatever you have to do, do it quickly," Aila nodded, impatient. Her charge came forward and put cool, dainty hands on the taller female's forehead, and suddenly the woman felt as though something was being pulled from her. It only lasted an instant though, and when it was over, Chasselle pulled away, her blue-green eyes wide.  
  
"I believe you, Aila Keil. My brother obviously loves you very much. I will come with you," she held out one of those dainty hands of hers, and Aila grabbed it, dragging her towards the door.  
  
"Please, be careful! My dress-"  
  
"I dig your dress, princess, but really I don't give a rat's rear end what happens to it as long as you're all right. Now listen. You keep close to me, and yell if you see the vixen or if anyone tries to grab you, and I'll shoot them," she closed the door behind them, and hurried her down the hallway.  
  
"You must be violent? Couldn't you sneak me away?" Came her tearful reply.  
  
"I have to be violent, princess. That's the plan. Anyone touches you and I'll blow their brains out," Aila grinned, showing her a gun. Chasselle's eyes widened further at the sight of the deadly-looking strange weapon.  
  
"Pretty wack, huh?" She demonstrated on an enemy fae who was about to send fire their way. He fell from his post, dead seconds from the bullet's impact. Chasselle gasped, and was yanked forward again.  
  
"Come on, princess. This way," Aila dragged her round another corner, onto a hallway that overlooked the throne room. The woman peered at the battle, and saw Jareth fighting with a blazing sword against a man. Another enemy fae came up behind him and Aila, almost crying out in horror, swung her gun up and shot wildly.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Jareth, busy fighting, heard gunshots ring through the throne room. He ran his sword through his opponent's chest and looked around. Aila was standing, poised with gun in hand, Chasselle cowering behind her. There was a fae behind him, holding a dagger, with a dozen gunshot wounds clean in his head. The Goblin King looked back up at Aila, and saw her grabbing his sister's arm and running as fast as she could dragging the girl down another corridor. He owed her his life, now. But it was a debt he was happy to have, considering that he could be dead by now if she hadn't shot the fae. He turned around and swung his sword at another enemy.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Well? Long one, this time. More chapters and wisecracks from Aila to come! But only if you review!!!  
  
Sweet Sunshine,  
  
Seul Loup 


	12. Chapter 12

Aila is mine, Rhonwyn resides in a cell in my head, and Chasselle can throw all the hairbrushes she likes in my imagination. Aila's song belongs to me to, I made it up. Everything else is Jim Henson's.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Aila towed her charge down another corridor, and was about to barge around a corner when she saw the black-cloaked figure ahead. Cursing under her breath, the woman yanked her companion into an empty room and leant against the wall for a moment, panting. Chasselle, also gasping for breath after their mad dash across the castle, stared at her in amazement.   
  
"What are you trained to do with those metal weapons?" She asked in wonder.  
  
"Kick ass, mostly. Got my first pistol when I was seventeen, when my friend Rhys took me to the local pistol club. Ever since, I've been following the latest technology in guns, and upgrade every now and then. These darlings are my favorites so far," she ran fingers softly over the gun in her hand, smiling. The other one was in its holster in her belt; she needed that hand to tow her charge along.  
  
"Lets blaze, princess," Aila grabbed the girl's wrist again and kicked the door open, charging into the hallway and racing one way, assessing the situation as she ran and hauled. The goblins were slowly gaining ground. She rounded a final corner and tumbled into the staircase room, Chasselle following her. This time, all the staircases went one way: down. They jogged down a few flights and hid under one set, out of the view of the doorway. The woman collapsed against the wall, eyes closed and breathing heavily, gun clasped in both hands. After a few moments, she opened her eyes to find the girl's blue-green ones staring at her.  
  
"Whats the dirty look for?" She asked mildly. Chasselle blinked.  
  
"I think Jareth loves you," the newly rescued princess declared. Aila rolled her eyes.  
  
"Well figured, genius. I wouldn't have known, he only announced it quite loudly to me yesterday," she said dryly. The girl shook a white-blonde head at her.  
  
"There's no need to go like that at me. Do you love him back?" She asked. Aila smiled, remembering the day before.  
  
"Yes, very much. I'll die for him... oh!" The woman gasped, leaping up in a swift, fluid bound and knocking her head on the bottom of the stairs above them. Chasselle gazed up at her, astounded.  
  
"What?" She asked, confused.  
  
"I have to go. He can't look after himself when all those people are after blood! And that vixen's out there, too. I know he ordered me to stay here, I have to go," she darted out of their cover, only to be stopped by dainty hands hauling undaintily on her jacket.  
  
"But you can't! I'll be here all alone, what if someone comes and tries to get me? And you said he ordered you to stay-" she was cut off.  
  
"Listen, princess. Do you want your brother to live or not? These darlings can kill anyone stone dead in seconds, with only one shot. He'll stand a better chance with me there. Here, I'll leave you one," Aila slipped her second gun out of its holster and showed the girl how to work it, then danced out of reach and up the stairs.  
  
"I'll be back, and you'll be safe, that's a promise," she called as she leapt up the last flight and out the door. The woman raced along the corridors, much faster now that she didn't have a girl to tow. In a matter of minutes she was standing in the throne room, looking for Jareth and shooting various enemies. No Goblin King. She ran up the staircase again and through more passageways, searching franticly. No Goblin King. But she did see a lady, dressed in crimson, her brunette locks messed. Her female sisterhood instincts took over.  
  
"C'mon, milady whoever you are, lets get you to a safe place," she yelled, grasping the lady's arm. A few corridors later, she felt less drag on the arm towing the woman, and was pulled up short by a dagger pressed against her throat.  
  
"So, you must be Aila, Jareth's new obsession," a smooth, creamy voice tinged with cruelty and malice whispered in her ear. Aila remembered that voice. It was her, the vixen, who she had heard in Chasselle's room. The leather-clad modern woman was pinned to the wall, and sure enough, it was the 'lady' she had tried to rescue. She swallowed around the dagger pressing against her throat.  
  
"Rhonwyn, I presume? Well met," she spat. The lady smirked, and slowly cut into the base of her enemy's neck.   
  
"Too bad you'll be dead soon, I really think he might have kept you for awhile," she said in mock sorrow, and cut another line, this one deeper.  
  
"What do you mean, you *****?" (OOC: Whoa, slow down, girl! Aila, you naughty character. I told you specifically, no swearing! Say you're sorry...) Aila glared icy daggers, and Rhonwyn smirked.  
  
"Oh, didn't you know? I guess you haven't heard of his reputation. Jareth has a little routine with each of his flames. He proclaims deep and undying love, to be with the girl until the end of time, and then loses interest after a time," the lady raised her dagger and lazily cut another scratch, a deep one, down her opponent's cheekbone.   
  
"You have it wrong, you no-good vixen. You're lying," Aila accused, stone still. Rhonwyn chuckled coldly.  
  
"No, no lies. Tell me, youngster. How can a woman who hasn't even reached thirty years of age be paired up with a full grown fae man who has thousands of years to his name?" The lady purred.  
  
"He is my soul," Aila snarled, her eyes narrowing to slits. She had had enough; this piece of trash had gone too far. Raising her gun as best she could while being pinned to the wall, she fired. Rhonwyn screamed and stumbled back, crimson blood a shade darker than her dress seeping through from her thigh. She poised the dagger ready to throw it, and realized that the other woman had her gun pressed to the side of her brunette locked forehead. Aila fired again just as Rhonwyn plunged the dagger sideways. Both women toppled backwards.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Aila groaned, staring at the ceiling. She didn't know how long she'd lain there, one hand clasped against the heavily bleeding wound that she'd pulled the dagger out of. It was through her middle, but seemed to have missed anything vital. Otherwise she wouldn't be alive. The gun had been knocked out of her hand and was now lying who-knows where. The edges of her vision began to go blurry, and the woman smiled dreamily. Was this dying? It wasn't so bad. Even the pain in her middle was fading. She began singing softly, a song that she'd learnt from her grandmother.  
  
"Tell me a story... of dangers untold... of hardships unnumbered... let the adventure unfold..." she sang softly into the fading noises of the battle, a faint smile gracing her lips against the slight trickle of crimson blood trickling out of one side of her mouth.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Jareth leant on a wall, panting. It was over. A few minutes ago, all the fae warriors had screamed and collapsed. He guessed it was because their leader had died, and that their leader had tied them to her. That leader was of course Rhonwyn. And he also placed a good guess that Aila had killed the fae lady. But why did he have a bad feeling about this? What could have possibly happened to his love? The Goblin King suddenly heard something on the faint breeze that flowed through the open castle.  
  
"Tell me a story... of a great battle fought... tell me of wizards... and apprentices taught..." the voice was soft, and he recognized it as Aila's. Dropping his sword, Jareth ran in the direction of the voice. Something bad had happened to her, he knew.   
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Sarah lay on her bed, staring listlessly at the ceiling with Aila's keys clasped to her chest. It was dark. She had made herself dinner, and come here to stare at the ceiling. Should she call Rhys now? Maybe just wait a little longer. Time passed differently in the Underground, maybe her aunt had just lost track. Sarah felt a tear threatening to escape her eyes, and she shut them tight, forbidding it to fall. Aila couldn't be gone. She just couldn't!  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
"Tell me about dragons... that skulk in their lairs... tell me of kings... and their daughters so fair..." Aila liked this part of the song. Her favorite characters in fairytales were dragons, kings, and princesses. She blinked slowly, her eyes going out of focus. No, she couldn't leave yet. She hadn't finished Nana's song!  
  
"Tell tales of elves... faeries and dwarves... of brave knights by the handful... and their blazing swords..." she whispered, her voice faltering. One verse left, then she would submit to the darkness... just one more verse.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Jareth ran into the grand corridor, and saw a figure, dressed in black and leather, sprawled on the floor near a wall. He cried out, and leapt over bodies to fall down beside her, and shook her violently. Dark eyes gazed dreamily up at him, and she smiled faintly, blood trickling out of one side of her mouth and one hand covering a stomach wound.  
  
"Tell me the end... and make it a happy one..." she whispered. He choked out a gasp, and shook her again.   
  
"then I'll drift to sleep... until we greet the sun..." Aila's eyes closed, and Jareth buried his head in her hair.  
  
"Ay, don't go yet... you've got to stay with me," he whispered painfully into her ear.   
  
"Let go, sweet one... let me go..." she murmured, eyes still closed.  
  
"No. That's the last thing I'll do, you've got to come back, I can't live without you," he tried to shake her awake again, but a wavering, bloody hand pressed itself weakly against his chest to make him stop.  
  
"All right, I hear you," she croaked, forcing blood-shot eyes open. He kissed her tenderly, despite the blood on her lips, relief flooding his mind. Conjuring up a crystal, Jareth poured the remnant of his strength into it and cracked it like an eggshell over the wound. Instantly, tissue began to mend and bleeding stopped. Damage repaired as best it could, but unfortunately he couldn't do anything about the pain. Aila broke away from his kiss, threw back her head and screamed, fainting. He grimaced in sympathy for her, fighting to hold on to consciousness. Mending wounds hurt. A lot. The Goblin King staggered to his feet and lifted the limp body of his love gently into his arms, calling on the last dribble of magic to transport them to Aila's apartment.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Okidoki peoples, this is ALMOST the end! Not quite, I might add! There's at least one more chapter to come. I was going to cut this off when Aila almost died, but didn't for two reasons: 1, I'm not that cruel, and 2, that would be too short a chapter. Aren't you glad?  
  
Reviews!  
  
Sweet Sunshine,  
  
Seul Loup 


	13. Chapter 13 Fin!

Terrie - the song has nothing to do with that movie, by the way. I never even heard of that movie, heh! My song, all mine... hee. Yum, cookie...  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Sarah had her hand poised in front of the phone, still trying to decide whether to call Rhys. She had picked up the handset and was dialing when suddenly all the power went off and there was Jareth, standing with an unconscious Aila in his arms in front of the door. The girl dropped the phone and gasped.  
  
"Aila!" She cried, rushing over. There was a crimson stain on the woman's shirt, her hand was the same colour, and there was dried blood on the side of her mouth. Jareth looked exhausted, but refused any care until Aila was lying on her bed with the covers drawn up. Then he collapsed on the guest bed, immediately asleep. Sarah closed the door to the spare room and went into her own room, relieved. Her aunt would be all right.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Aila moaned, eyes still closed. Her stomach was throbbing. A cool hand was pressed against her cheek, and the hurt died down. She was able to open her eyes, and stared straight into Jareth's.   
  
"You're still in pain," he murmured, worried. She smiled.  
  
"Its good pain... tells me that I'm alive," she told him, smiling. A creak signaled the door opening, and they looked over to see Sarah, standing in the doorway.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Sarah woke halfway through the night, and crept out of bed, meaning to check on her aunt. The guest bedroom was empty, and she heard murmured voices from her aunt's room. Peeping through the miniature crack between door and frame, she saw Jareth leaning over Aila, close enough to kiss, and her aunt was smiling. Sarah tried to back away, but her toe stubbed the door and it creaked open further. Both adults turned to look at her, startled, and she blushed.  
  
"I- I was just checking on you, Aila," she stammered. The woman smiled, and pushed Jareth away to sit up slowly, beckoning to her niece. Aila lifted her shirt, still blood-stained, to inspect a nasty-looking dark patch. The woman whistled.  
  
"That's one horrible bruise I have, Jareth. Much better than the wound, though," she smiled at him. Sarah looked from him to her, a tiny smile creeping onto her own lips. Well, it was true, then. Aila and a Goblin King... sitting in a tree. Her aunt looked at her sharply, as if knowing what she was thinking, then held out one hand.  
  
"My keys, Sarah?" She said expectantly. The girl held them out, surprised to see them in her hand. Aila took them, then turned to Jareth.  
  
"My guns are still back there somewhere. One is where I almost died, and one is with Chasselle, in the staircase room. Could I have them ba-"  
  
"You rescued Chase?" Jareth grasped her shoulders. Aila tapped his nose, smiling.  
  
"Of course. I came, I saw, I kicked ass. And rescued the princess in distress. Go on, go see for yourself," she grinned. He stepped away, the light flickering.  
  
"And mind you bring back my guns," Aila reminded him. Jareth nodded, and was gone. When the lights came on, her aunt turned to Sarah and enveloped her in a rough hug.  
  
"Good to see you, kid. Give me a hand up?" She pulled away, and let her niece help her off the bed. Sarah stood by while Aila changed in the bathroom, then helped her aunt back to bed. The woman was still weak, from nearly dying, and fell asleep immediately. The girl quietly dumped the bloodstained clothes in the washing machine, and went back to her own room. So everything had turned out all right. Aila was home, and alive; Jareth and her aunt had gotten together; and Sarah didn't hold a grudge against the Goblin King anymore. Well, not much of a grudge, anyway.   
  
*~*~*~*  
  
And they lived happily ever after, to the end of their days. Heh. Well, I hope so, anyway. Reviews, please, now that I've finished! Puhleese! Here's a spoiler for my next story:  
  
Talisha sa Inglesidee is the wild child daughter of two Fae nobles. She is as low-ranked as noble status can go, and her only talents are writing and causing panic when she spends a night in the woods without permission. But what happens when Jareth, the Goblin King, forces her to write him a story of his Labyrinth to send into the mortal world? She is torn between saving the poor mortals and saving herself from being kicked out from the noble Fae world. And it doesn't help that the Goblin King is a self-centered, rude, and handsome but inconsiderate *******. This is the story of how the book the Labyrinth was written.  
  
Sweet Sunshine!  
  
Seul Loup.  
  
************************************************  
* Fancy yourself as a writer? *  
* Want to win prizes for your pieces? *  
* *  
* Corey's Place - This is for you. *  
* *  
* http://feanor.ozefamily.com.au/coreys_place/ *  
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